Equipment needed for Nose Work Class:
- Your dog should be on a back-clip type harness (preferred) or a buckle collar – no choke, slip or prong/pinch collars. Also, front-clip harnesses will not work for this class, as we want the dogs to pull.
- Your dog should be on a flat, lightweight leash of a minimum of 6′ – 10 foot long line of lightweight leather or nylon is ideal.
- Dogs are worked one at a time, so we would like non-working dogs confined to a crate of your choosing inside the building.
- In order to build your dog’s desire to hunt you need to provide smelly, delicious (to your dog!) treats that your dog REALLY wants! Examples would include Garlic Sausage, Maple Sausage, Kielbasa, Liverwurst, or Meatballs. The smellier the treat the more the dog will want to hunt! For this class, kibble or plain dog cookies won’t build the drive you are looking for. Think about what makes your dog drool, what type of food really gets his/her attention, something he/she doesn’t normally get and bring that. This special treat should only be used when doing Nose Work. The type of treat used may need to be changed from time to time.
- Bring a hungry dog to class! Asking a dog to hunt for food on a full stomach just doesn’t work – trust us! Also, don’t exercise your dog or take him/her for a long hike before class – we want a dog that is full of energy.
- Bring 2 small metal dog dishes. Small low stainless steel cat dishes are ideal. These will be used to hold the smelly, delicious treats for your dog when he is hunting.
- A Bait Bag to hold the rewards for your dog.
- We have water but you may bring your dog’s own water bowl.